15 Hypoallergenic Dogs and Cats

If you love animals but hate allergies, you may be tempted to spring for a pricey hypoallergenic pet. However, the only pets proven to be hypoallergenic have scaly skinlike iguanas and snakes. That said, if you’re dead set on a furry pet, here are a few that are toutedbut not provento be better for people with allergies.

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Hypoallergenic or Hype?

If you love animals but hate allergies, you may be tempted to spring for a pricey hypoallergenic pet.

Not so fast. Studies suggest hypoallergenic cats and dogs can cause just as many symptoms as the regular kind, says James Seltzer, MD, a spokesperson for the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. That’s because skin and saliva proteins, not just hair, trigger allergy symptoms.

The only pets proven to be hypoallergenic have scaly skin—like iguanas and snakes, he says. That said, if you’re dead set on a furry pet, here are a few that are toutedbut not provento be better for people with allergies.